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Rules Committee advances ‘SF RISE’ work group to address pandemic learning loss
Summary
The Rules Committee voted to adopt amendments and send an ordinance establishing the Students and Family RISE work group to the full Board of Supervisors. Sponsors say the one‑year body will produce a citywide recovery plan by Aug. 1, 2021 to expand enrichment, boost enrollment and remediate learning loss in SFUSD.
The San Francisco Rules Committee on Feb. 22 advanced an ordinance to create the Students and Family RISE work group, a short‑term advisory body charged with recommending a citywide plan to help students recover from COVID‑19 school closures. The committee adopted minor amendments and sent the item as a committee report to the full board.
Sponsors said the 11‑member work group, which will be administered by the Department of Children, Youth and Their Families (DCYF), is aimed at three concrete goals: bringing every San Francisco Unified School District student to grade‑level proficiency in core subjects; increasing SFUSD enrollment to stem family flight during distance learning; and expanding full‑scale enrichment programs such as arts, music, sports and libraries.
“We have 52,000 reasons to get this right,” Supervisor Ronan said, invoking the district’s enrollment total as a measure of urgency. The ordinance requires the work group to submit a final plan with recommendations to the Board of Supervisors, the mayor and SFUSD by Aug. 1, 2021.
San Francisco Board of Education Commissioner Kevin Bogus, a coauthor, described the effort as an opportunity to align city and district services ‘‘so families experience the school district and city services as a single coordinated system.’’ Maria Su, director of DCYF, told the committee DCYF would provide administrative support and urged partners to pursue federal, state, local and philanthropic funding to support implementation.
Office of Racial Equity Director Shakira Simli cautioned that district learning‑loss metrics can obscure harm to vulnerable students and recommended that the work group ground recovery planning in clear, equity‑centered data and community listening. “We’re not measuring the right things,” Simli said during her presentation to the committee.
Sponsors said they had worked with labor and education stakeholders to refine the ordinance and that the adopted amendments add a seat to represent non‑classified school‑site employees and clarify the work group’s timeline. Chair Aaron Peskin moved the amendments and the roll call showed the motion passed without objection.
Next steps: The ordinance, as amended, will go to the full Board of Supervisors for further consideration. The work group’s final plan — if approved later in the process — is intended to be implemented during the 2021–22 school year.
